Shadow Slave

Even after living through the horrors of the Southern Campaign and witnessing the chilling resolution of the Battle of the Black Skull, Sunny still paled at the sight of the enormous swarm of Corrupted Beasts. There were too many of them to count, but there had to be tens of thousands of translucent crustaceans advancing toward the island.

Even Nephis seemed taken aback- a rare sight, and not a welcome one. She instinctively outstretched a hand, as if summoning a sword could save them from the plague of Corrupted abominations.

"It's... it's alright."

Her voice was even but lacked confidence.

Sunny forced out a faint smile.

"How exactly is this alright?"

Nephis lingered for a moment.

"These creatures don't seem capable of leaving the water."

Sunny closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, the abominable krill were probably incapable of crawling onto the island and devouring them. However, they were more than capable of devouring the Azure Serpent. And with the old snake gone, nothing would prevent the dark butterfly from landing on the shell of the slain Great Monster.

"That's right. You are going to die."

He flinched and glared at the Sin of Solace, who had appeared out of nowhere and looked at him with dark glee.

The sword wraith laughed, and then whispered:

"Better yet, you are going to watch Nephis die. Isn't it poetic?"

Sunny tried to ignore the vile apparition, but this time, it was much harder than usual. With the words of the Sin of Solace still echoing in his ears, he forced himself to look away and stare at the river.

the Azure Serpent lowered its head stubbornly, huffed, and suddenly shot toward the krill swarm with tremendous speed. The water parted and foamed where it

with bloodlust and fury. That snake... did not know

What

of lunatic to make a vice into a perverse virtue. The Azure Serpent's extreme bloodlust had made it into a much more fearsome existence than it should

and how sharp its fangs were, the serpent could only crush that many krill in its jaws. A dozen at a time, a few dozen, even a hundred... it was

into the Great Beast's flesh. Even though there was a vast gap between the two Ranks, it was not as insurmountable as that

only possessed inconceivable physical might. Not all enemies, however, could

And yet, and yet...

help but root for the great

on, old

of the azure leviathan was closing in on the rushing krill swarm, moments away from clashing

it was

and Nephis swayed, pushed back by the shockwave of a demented, enraged roar. Even distorted by the mass of water, it was still loud

The krill, however...

much closer to the source of the roar, the shockwave spread through the swarm like

swarming abominations...

to the Azure Serpent, were paralyzed completely, while those

far as he could, and then a little further still. He just barely managed to sense the massive shape of the Great Beast flying

he sensed the mighty muscles of the serpent moving, his long body contracting like a bow. Then, its tail shot forward like a whip, and a sudden explosion sent countless tons of water rushing outward in a crushing wave. The sonic boom was even louder than the mad beast's enraged roar, and the force produced by it not

more were completely obliterated by the tail of the Azure

were already rushing from all sides,

and snapped, grinding a

like a drop in the

as if trying to turn its long snout into a drill. Sunny did not see how this could help the Great Beast against the

River were stirred, forming a long whirlpool along the length of its colossal body. That underwater whirlpool was like liquid armor, the